Maize in Mexico

With the aim of achieving several generations of production in a single year, the experimental maize unit established a corn nursery in early December in the city of Nayarit, Mexico.

This allows for faster creation of genetic material for research programs.

The unit is usually located in the southern hemisphere, in Chile. This year, it wanted to produce later-ripening genetic material, which is why Mexico was chosen. The tropical climate shortens the production cycle.

400 self-pollinated lines and 175 crosses were created. Carine Palaffre and Cyril Bauland, the two off-season production managers, visited the site in February and conducted the scoring and screening. Harvesting began on March 19th, and the seeds are scheduled to be returned on April 15th for sowing in France.

Pollination is an essential mechanism for the reproduction of maize lines. This process involves transferring pollen from the male reproductive system of flowers to the female organ of the plant.